1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a switch-type imaging fiber apparatus which inserts imaging fibers into a plurality of introduction holes formed in a biological body or the like and switches laser light or the like incident on end surfaces of the respective imaging fibers to thereby observe affected areas or the like located at the leading ends of the imaging fibers. The present invention also relates to a branch-type imaging fiber apparatus which inserts imaging fibers into a plurality of introduction holes drilled in a biological tissue or the like and allows or blocks the incidence of laser light or the like through an ON-OFF mechanism provided at end surfaces of the respective imaging fibers to thereby observe affected areas or the like located at the leading ends of the imaging fibers.
2. Description of the Related Art
A system has been in practical use which forms an introduction hole reaching an affected area of a biological body, inserts an imaging fiber into the introduction hole, applies light to the affected area from the leading end of each of the imaging fiber, and receives reflected light from the affected area to thereby observe the affected area with a microscope, a monitor, or the like.
To cope with a case in which a multitude of affected areas exist, a corresponding apparatus is provided which individually makes the light incident on a plurality of imaging fibers to observe the affected areas. In this case, separate endoscope devices need to be provided to form the respective imaging fibers. Thus, the size of the apparatus is increased and the operation of the apparatus becomes complicated, which is inefficient. Further, in a case in which treatments or the like are performed on the affected areas, i.e., the observation targets existing at a plurality of locations, and the process of and the causal relationship between the treatments or the like are examined, the above configuration is inconvenient to view the observation images obtained by the respective imaging fibers in terms of the chronological change.
Examples of a fiber apparatus using a multitude of optical fibers for observation are disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 11-192204 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 10-260324, for example.
The former apparatus relates to an intestinal endoscope, in which inner end portions of a multitude of objective fiberscopes 10 are divided into two rows and disposed in proximity to each other on a straight line. Then, a leading end portion of an image transmission fiber cable 15 is disposed in the longitudinal direction in proximity to the inner ends of the fiberscopes 10. The leading end of the cable 15 is attached with a prism 16, while a pinion 20 and a rack 18, which are driven by a micro motor 19, are provided at a rear position of the cable 15. The leading end portion of the cable 15 is then caused to perform a reciprocating movement in the longitudinal direction, and images transmitted by the prism 16 to the inner ends of the respective fiberscopes 10 are sequentially transferred to the image transmission fiber cable 15 and displayed on a monitor. However, the above proposal is for observing the inner wall of the intestinal tract with the multitude of objective fiberscopes 10, and is not the apparatus for observing, substantially at the same time, a multitude of affected areas positioned apart from one another in a biological body.
According to the latter apparatus, images captured by a multitude of objective lenses 201 to 209 provided at the front, rear, and side positions of a vehicle are transmitted to ocular lenses 221 to 229 by optical fibers 211 to 219. Then, as a reflecting mirror 23 is driven by a servo motor 24, the images sent from the ocular lenses 221 to 229 are guided to a photoelectric element 25 through optical scanning, converted into electrical signals, and sent to a control and monitor unit 26.
According to the above proposal, however, the multitude of fibers are provided at the front, rear, and side positions of the vehicle, and image information captured by the objective lens 201 to 209 is sequentially scanned by the reflecting mirror 23 to thereby display the light incident on a plurality of image guides on a monitor screen. Thus, the above proposal is not for applying light to observation targets from the respective fibers and receiving resultant reflected light. Therefore, the apparatus is not provided with a portion including a light source and a switching mechanism for making the light enter into or exit from the respective fibers at a bundled part of the image guides. Further, the fibers cannot be used as fibers for observing respective affected areas in a biological body.
Furthermore, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 59-223079 discloses an apparatus which displays on a monitor an image obtained by the leading ends of a plurality of fibers bundled together. The above apparatus is an image transmission apparatus having a plurality of (e.g., four) branch image guides, which are bundled together at an image receiving side and connected to an image receiving unit of a television camera, to thereby display a cross-patterned image including four divided rectangular images on a monitor screen 5. The apparatus is for displaying the light incident on the plurality of image guides on the monitor screen, and not for applying light to observation targets from the respective fibers and receiving resultant reflected light. Therefore, the apparatus is not provided with a portion including a light source and a ON-OFF mechanism for making the light enter into or exit from the respective fibers at a bundled part of the image guides. Further, the fibers cannot be used as fibers for observing respective affected areas in a biological body.